The Tennessee State Capitol stands today much as it did when it first opened in 1859. This graceful structure was designed by noted architect William Strickland who considered it his crowning achievement. When Strickland died suddenly during construction in 1854, he was buried in the north facade of the Capitol. The cornerstone for the building was laid on July 4, 1845, and construction finished in 1859. The grounds of the State Capitol contain statues honoring Sam Davis, Sgt. Alvin York, and Presidents Andrew Jackson and Andrew Johnson. The tombs of President and Mrs. James K. Polk are also located on the Capitol grounds. The first acknowledgment inside the State Capitol of the successful ratification of the 19th Amendment on August 18, 1920, was unveiled in February 1998 - Alan LeQuire's bas-relief sculpture that hangs between the House and Senate Chambers.

Guided Tours:

Guided tours are available on Monday through Friday at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m., beginning at the Information Desk on the first floor. Groups of ten or more should make a reservation prior to their visit by calling the Public Programs Department at (615)741-0830 or toll-free 800-407-4324.

Founder of the City Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs in Nashville; a founder of the Tennessee Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs; and a founder of the Negro Women’s Reconstruction Service League. She organized protests against lack of restroom facilities for blacks in downtown Nashville and was an outspoken advocate of equal suffrage. At the invitation of Catherine Talty Kenny, Mrs. Pierce was a speaker on May 18, 1920, for the first meeting of the Tennessee League of Women Voters, held in the House chambers at the Capitol. “What will the negro [sic] woman do with the vote?” she asked. “We are going to make you proud of us and yourselves….We want a state vocational school and a child welfare department of the state, and more room in state schools .” Building upon the momentum of women’s empowerment after the ratification of the19th Amendment, she intensified her efforts for a state vocational school; the bill creating the Tennessee Vocational School for Colored Girls was passed by the General Assembly on April 7, 1921. Mrs. Pierce became its first superintendent, serving until 1939.

The Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA), established in 1854, currently operates as a unit of the Tennessee Department of State. According to the Tennessee Blue Book,[2] the Library and Archives "collects and preserves books and records of historical, documentary and reference value, and encourages and promotes library development throughout the state." This mandate can be found in Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 10, Chapters 1-8.

Although most states operate their libraries and archives as separate agencies, Tennessee is one of a handful of states whose library and archives are administered jointly

Kate Bradford Stockton was born in Stockton, California, in 1880. Four years later, she moved with her parents to Fentress County. She was the descendant of a distinguished family of radical thinkers, and was the product of the Upper Cumberland radical tradition. In 1936, running on the Socialist Party ticket, she was the first woman to run for governor of Tennessee. Her gubernatorial candidacy was part of a national effort by the Socialist Party to place a candidate on the ballot in every state. Her childhood home was a two-story log structure 1200 yards west of here. An author, poet, and humanist, Kate Bradford Stockton died on August 19, 1969, and was buried in the Stockton Cemetery.

The Hermitage Hotel was where both the pro- and anti-suffrage forces gathered to plot their legislative strategy. The hotel staff, particularly Finance Director/historian Tom Vickstrom, have done a wonderful job in preserving the history.

Anne Dallas Dudley's maker is located in Centennial Park, 2500 West End Ave, Nashville, TN 37203.

Anne Dallas Dudley (Mrs. Guilford) of Nashville — One of Tennessee's most influential suffragists, she founded the Nashville Equal Suffrage League in 1911, was president of the Tennessee Equal Suffrage League in 1915, vice-president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association in 1917, and an indispensable campaigner for the 36th ratification of the suffrage amendment in Nashville in 1920. Her beauty, charm and eloquence made her the living refutation of the "she-male" label often given to suffragists by opponents of woman suffrage.

Founder of the City Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs in Nashville; a founder of the Tennessee Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs; and a founder of the Negro Women’s Reconstruction Service League. She organized protests against lack of restroom facilities for blacks in downtown Nashville and was an outspoken advocate of equal suffrage. At the invitation of Catherine Talty Kenny, Mrs. Pierce was a speaker on May 18, 1920, for the first meeting of the Tennessee League of Women Voters, held in the House chambers at the Capitol. “What will the negro [sic] woman do with the vote?” she asked. “We are going to make you proud of us and yourselves….We want a state vocational school and a child welfare department of the state, and more room in state schools .” Building upon the momentum of women’s empowerment after the ratification of the19th Amendment, she intensified her efforts for a state vocational school; the bill creating the Tennessee Vocational School for Colored Girls was passed by the General Assembly on April 7, 1921. Mrs. Pierce became its first superintendent, serving until 1939.

Noted sculptor Alan LeQuire is shown in his studio with maquettes of the second Knoxville suffrage sculpture and the TN Woman Suffrage Monument in Centennial Park. LeQuire also did the bas-relief suffrage sculpture hanging in the State Capitol Building between the House and Senate chambers as well as the first suffrage monument in Knoxville in 2006.

The lawn of 1128 Madison Street was the site of the first open meeting of the Clarksville Equal Suffrage League July 31, 1914. It was the home of Wilhelmina Sickenberger Barksdale who became publisher and editor of the Leaf-Chronicle after her husband's death in 1922.

The Arlington Hotel, across from the courthouse on Second Street, was purchased by Lulu Bringhurst Epperson and renamed the Hotel Montgomery. It was the site of multiple meetings, specifically sessions organized to educate women about registration, voting and issues after the State suffrage statute was passed. The hotel has been torn down, but there is a monument there of the large stone from over the door of the Arlington Hotel.

Prior to August 26, 2016, there were no monuments outside the Capitol building in Nashville that reflected women’s contributions to our state’s history. There is now a privately funded monument to the Tennessee suffragists in Centennial Park which has a historic connection to the suffrage movement. Thousands of people visit Centennial Park every year, so this story will be preserved for future generations with fabulous public art. The monument was unveiled in a temporary location in Centennial Park on August 26, 2016, which is Women’s Equality Day, and will be relocated to a permanent site later when renovations to the park are completed.